Reflections on the Christian journey based on the lectionary gospel texts

Wednesday, 5 November 2014

Pentecost 22, Matthew 25:1-13, The ten bridesmaids

The
parable seems to be supremely about keeping awake especially to Gods coming and
judgment, not a comfortable theme!So
Jesus gave us the parable of the ten bridesmaids. As usual for parables in
Matthew it is about the kingdom of heaven.

What
will heaven be like? It will be like 10 bridesmaids and their lamps! Today it
would be and their mobile phones!

The lamps were made of clay in a bowl with a hole at one end for
the wick. The bowl was filled with oil to fuel the lamp.

The
procession was going to the groom's house.

The
foolish bridesmaids were not
prepared. They had no oil. The wise bridesmaids did have oil.

The
oil is olive oil, although any oil was used for the lamps

The wise bridesmaids had even taken jars of extra oil so were
very prepared. The bridegroom was
delayed and they all fell asleep.

Then they all woke up, trimmed
their lamps and the foolish bridegrooms asked the wise ones for some oil
and the wise bridegrooms refusedbecause
there wasn’t enough to share and told them to go and buy some oil (at
midnight!)

So
the foolish girls were buying their oil when the bridegroom came to the feast
and the doors were shut and only the bridegrooms with oil went in to the wedding
feast.

Later the others came back and asked to be let
in but the groom refused to let them in. He said honestly, I don't know you" an Aramaic
phrase that means I have nothing in common with you.

So
the moral of the parable is keep watching and being prepared for God to come.
Be like Noah who trusted God and was saved from the flood.

So
keep watch/stay awake, be
vigilance. As the watchman keeps watch, is vigilant, so that he is not caught
out, so must we keep watch becauseyou do not know the day or the hour
when God will come